南拳北腿，东枪西棍。
Southern fist and northern kick, eastern spear and western stick.
This proverb shows the distinct differences between the martial arts of various areas of China. In the Yangtze River basin and southern areas of the river, it consists of various types of Chinese boxing, which are famous for steady movements and fierce fists. In the Yellow River and its southern region, martial arts are known for their strong kicks, fast movements as well as running and jumping.

 

枪为百兵之王，又为百兵之贼。
The spear is the lord of weapons and the lord of weapon thieves as well.
The proverb describes the strong power of spears. In ancient China, the reason why the spear is called the lord of weapon thieves is that spears have strong power, rapid attacking speed and flexible manipulation. Enemies cannot defend themselves effectively from a spear. Many ancient Chinese with excellent kung fu skills use spears well, killing countless enemies in battles.  

 

剑为百兵之秀。
The sword is the most beautiful among numerous weapons.
The sword is one of the earliest weapons invented in China. Over frequent battles throughout history, swords were gradually replaced by other weapons. Swordsmanship has two styles. One style is natural and unrestricted with beautiful moves; the other is flexible with changeable and strong moves. But both styles are not as fierce as the style of a knife. Swords reflect an elegant feature. They are known as one of the four treasures of scholars in ancient China, along with musical instruments, chess sets and books. So it fully deserves to be called the most beautiful of weapons.